Championships, not Heisman, is what Georgia’s Gurley wants

Thursday

Jul 17, 2014 at 10:17 AM

HOOVER, Ala. – The last time the Georgia Bulldogs had a Heisman Trophy winner was in 1982 when Herschel Walker did it but this year, UGA has a chance to claim the award for a third time with star running back Todd Gurley.

HOOVER, Ala. – The last time the Georgia Bulldogs had a Heisman Trophy winner was in 1982 when Herschel Walker did it but this year, UGA has a chance to claim the award for a third time with star running back Todd Gurley.

"I’m not really too big on it," Gurley said on Thursday at SEC Media Days. "People say it a lot, but it’s not the thing I’m going after."

In 2013, Gurley rushed for 989 yards in 10 games scoring 10 touchdowns along with catching another five TD’s.

What is more impressive is that these respectable numbers come even though Gurley missed three and a half games for an ankle injury.

Georgia’s top running back was voted by the media to the All-SEC team with the third most votes at 280 heading into his third season with the Bulldogs.

One big question connected with Gurley is if year three is his final year in college before making the jump to the NFL.

"Whether Todd stays another year or not, I don’t know," Georgia head coach Mark Richt said. "But if he stays healthy, I think he’s one of the better players in America, no doubt about it."

The Bulldogs’ coach said through playing in UGA’s offensive system, all of the running backs are prepared for anything that goes on in the NFL like pass protection, route running and ball protection.

"I feel like I will definitely be prepared," Gurley said of Georgia’s NFL preparation for players. "The coaches show us a lot as far as offensive-wise. Coach Richt, he is just a great coach. He brings people in to talk to us and shows us a lot of stuff to get prepared for the real world, the next level."

Gurley wouldn’t say if 2014 was it for his college career though, guarding himself from leaning one way or another.

In the meantime, the Bulldogs do have their offensive captain who is staring at a home opener against Clemson who beat Georgia 38-35 just a year ago.

"It’s definitely going to be exciting man," Gurley said. "We went there last year for the first game and we lost. Just for them coming back to Athens this year, it’s going to be a great one and we definitely want that win. It’s the first game so everybody is going to be pumped up. It’s going to be an exciting year and it’s going to be a great game."

Being a team that finished 8-5, due partly to a rash of injuries, Georgia is one of the names favored to possibly win the SEC East this year which is something that Gurley believes could happen.

"We have the potential," Gurley said. "We’ll have to see and not promise anything because anything could happen but that’s definitely a goal so why not?"

Wildcats building to climb out of cellar

Winning two games in his first season wasn’t exactly what Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops had in mind.

The good news is that the Wildcats have a stellar basketball team to fall back on.

"Since I’ve arrived at Kentucky, people have been nothing but good to me and passionate about football," Stoops said. "We know they love their basketball, as they should."

What outsiders see is a team with wins in 2013 against Miami of Ohio and Alabama State while players believe in their second-year coach and what he is trying to do.

"The fans have done a good job accepting Coach Stoops through the coaching change with all the money they are putting into the new stadium," senior defensive end Bud Dupree said. "If I was a fan, if I see a coach really caring about a program and changing a program, to go out there and get all that money and change the football stadium and change the practice facilities and put money into the nutrition program, I would really hop on his train and jump and hold on."

Kentucky is in fact dropping a cool $120 million renovation on Commonwealth Stadium along with being in the design phase of creating a nearly 100,000 square-foot football-only facility slated for completion in 2016.

As many know, money buys innovation, which appeals to talent that wants to beat the best in the SEC, which leads to wins or so they hope.